Jang

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Forty-nine year-old magazine editor and publisher Shoaib Adil fled his home in the eastern city of Lahore last month and went into hiding with his wife and children. Adil faces threats and possible charges of blasphemy--a crime punishable by life imprisonment or death--in connection with a book he published in 2007, written by a judge belonging to a religious minority group in Pakistan, as well as with his magazine, which covers sensitive issues. For years, Adil has been able to navigate the challenges that come with his critical journalistic work. But now he faces the possibility of being unable to live or work safely in Pakistan.

EDITOR'S
NOTE: Hamid Mir, the executive editor of Pakistan's
Geo Television, survived an April 19 assassination
attempt, but was badly injured. The shooting came a
few weeks after the Pakistani government pledged in a
meeting with CPJ to address the insecurity plaguing the country's journalists. Shortly
after the attack, some Pakistani media stated that CPJ had received an emailed video
from Mir saying that if he were killed, Pakistan's Inter Services Intelligence
Directorate (ISI) was responsible. Mir recently told CPJ that he had sent a
video to his lawyer, who did not send it to CPJ. The ISI has denied the
allegation it was behind the attack on Mir, according to news reports. This
article was initially published in the daily Urdu-language Jang
newspaper on May 5, 2014.

There are two types of traitors.

The first kind includes those who join
hands with enemies and help enslave their own people. Among the most prominent of
these is Jaffar Ali Khan, whose betrayal, as chief of army in 1757, eventually
led to the British rule of the subcontinent. Over time, Jaffar's name has
become synonymous with treachery.

Pakistan's general elections in May, though marred
by violence that left more than 100 dead, was a reaffirmation of the people's
commitment to the democratic process. Voters proved once again that they can
make decisions based on their own political interests--and not because of
intimidation by those who would perpetrate violence. The media, with their
nonstop coverage, arrived as full-fledged partners in the democratic process
and were intrinsic to the first civilian transfer of power after the completion
of a five-year term by a democratically elected government. Now, the question
is: What will come next for the media under Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's
government?

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Appendix

Journalists Killed 2003-2012: Motive Confirmed

CPJ research has determined that 42 journalists were killed in Pakistan in direct relation to their work from January 1, 2003, through December 31, 2012. An additional 12 journalists were killed in unclear circumstances during the time period. Capsule reports on each death follow, beginning with cases in which CPJ has confirmed a work-related motive.

New York, May
17, 2013--Pakistani authorities should dismiss separate complaints filed against
newspapers and journalists in Baluchistan for publishing statements made by
banned militant groups, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

Ansar
Abbasi, editor of investigations for Pakistan's leading media group Jang, is apparently
facing a de facto ban from his own employers. Other TV channels also report being
told not to air his views. Abbasi has charged cable operators with spreading
immoral, anti-Islamic messages through Indian movies and other popular culture
broadcasts. In response, he says, they are censoring his views.